The invention pertains to a driving roll and specifically a driving roll or a driven roll for use in a roller conveyor or as a driven carrying roll for a belt conveyor.
Driving rolls such as those employed in roller conveyors or as carrying rolls in belt conveyors conventionally consist of a cylindrical roller body, which its terminated at both ends by a roller base. The roller bases contain the bearings for the seating of the driving rolls on a roller axis. In a driving roll or one driven roll, a roller base is generally designed as a driving member by means of which a driving force is transferred to the roll. Depending on their purpose, the driving rolls can be driven over belts, especially cogged belts or chains. In this case, depending on the selected driving means the driving member must be designed as a chain wheel or a toothed wheel for a cogged belt.
In addition, various possibilities are available to drive a multitude of driving rolls arranged in series. On the one hand, the possibility is available to drive all driving rolls tangentially over a continuous cogged belt or a continuous chain. On the other hand, the possibility of a drive from roller to roller is also possible. In the case of a drive from roller to roller, two rollers each are connected with each other via a cogged belt or a chain. This means that the driving members must include two chains or toothed wheels, one for the connection with the preceding roll and one for connection with the following roll.
These different driving possibilities imply a multitude of different design shapes of the driving members. For example, the driving members for the tangential drive using cogged belts must include a toothed wheel, for tangential drive using a chain, a chain wheel, for the drive using cogged belts from roll to roll two toothed wheels each and for the drive using a chain from roll to roll two chain wheels each. These four possibilities alone include four different driving members. Other variation possibilities of the driving members may result from different types of bearings.
Because of the multitude of differently designed driving members, the known driving rolls imply high manufacturing and warehousing costs for the availability of individual parts. In addition, the availability of replacement parts is problematic, since all types of driving members must be kept in storage to ensure availability of replacement parts.
The purpose of this invention is to create an improved driving roll, which because of its simplified design allows interaction with numerous different types of drives.
This task is resolved by means of a driving roll with the characteristics indicated in Claim 1. The subclaims present advantageous design forms.
The universal coupling device of the drive roll according to the invention permits the variable installation of different drive wheels, without such implying changes of modifications to the roller base. All drive wheels have a standardized design such that they can be optionally connected with the driving roll. This modular design of the driving roll reduces the number of required individual parts for the implementation of the most diverse types of drives, so that the manufacturing and warehousing costs for the driving rolls can be reduced considerable.
In one of the first potential designs according to the invention the driving roll presents the coupling device an opening and a driving member inserted into the opening in the longitudinal direction of the roller, which extends in the longitudinal direction over the free end of the roller base and in at least two insertion positions, in which the driving rolls are inserted so far that they can be fastened to it. The fact that the driving roll is inserted at different lengths and can be fastened in these different insertion positions, makes it possible that this driving member can be used for the arrangement of two chain wheels or toothed wheels as well as for the arrangement of only one toothed wheel or chain wheel, since the extent of the driving member in the longitudinal direction of the roll can be modified to the pertinent toothed or chain wheel. Here, at least two different defined insertion positions are available. However, more than two predefined insertion positions can be provided or the driving member can be designed in such a manner that it can be fastened in a position inserted at any optional length in the driving roll. Thus different distances of the driving roll in the longitudinal direction of the roll can be reached over the free end of the roller base. However, in contrast with the known driving rolls no separate driving members are required. The driving member is merely positioned differently on the driving roll and then fastened. This construction eliminates the necessity of providing different driving members for the different types of drives.
Only one driving member is required, which can be used for a multitude of different types of drives. Depending on the desired type of drive, a different number of different drive wheels, such as toothed wheels or chain wheels, can be placed on the driving member. This reduction of the different number of individual parts also allows a reduction of the manufacturing costs, since only one driving member at a corresponding total number must be manufactured. In addition, the warehousing costs are greatly reduced and the supply of replacement parts is considerably simplified.
Advantageously the driving roll includes latching means for the fastening of the driving member at any of the at least two insert positions. Such latching means simplify the mounting of the driving member on the driving roll, since the driving member must merely be inserted in the opening in the base of the roll of the driving roll and is latched there in the desired position with the driving roll. Thus, no additional mounting parts or mounting steps for the fastening of the driving member to the driving roll are required. The latching means are preferably designed in the form of ring shaped latching protrusions on the inner side of the opening in the roll base and in the form of corresponding ring shaped grooves on the outside of the driving member. Several different latching grooves are arranged interspaced from each other on the surface of the driving member in order to ensure the latching of the driving member in the various desired insertion positions.
Preferably, the driving roll presents at the opening of the roll base a wedge shaped profile or a toothed profile, which meshes into the corresponding wedge profile or tooth profile of the driving member. Such a profile allows a reliable transfer of forces from the driving member to the driving roll. It is especially advantageously when the profile extends on the driving member in the longitudinal direction of the roll over the entire length of the driving member, so that for any insertion position the meshing of the wedge or tooth profile of the driving roll into the profile on the driving member is possible. This ensures a secure transfer of force independent of the insertion position.
Preferably the tooth profile on the driving member is designed corresponding to the profile of a cogged belt. Such a design makes the additional inclusion of a toothed wheel for the accommodation of a cogged belt on the driving member superfluous, the cogged belt can mesh directly with the profile arranged on the driving member. This signifies that the tooth profile on the driving member is used for the transfer of force from the cogged belt to the driving member as well as for the transfer of force from the driving member to the driving roll. Thus an additional reduction of components is achieved. In the event of a drive from roll to roll, i.e., two cogged belts mesh with each driving member, it is advantageous to place in the free area of the part extending away from the roller base a spacer, which divides the free area in two areas, on each of which a cogged belt runs. In this manner it can be ensured that despite the continuous toothed profile, the two cogged belts do not touch.
Preferably at least one drive wheel, especially a chain wheel, can be placed on the driving member. The described driving member can therefore also be used for other types of drives, for example for the propulsion of a steel roller chain. A corresponding drive or chain wheel is merely placed on the driving member. Accordingly, no special driving member is required, which implies that the number of different individual parts can be reduced.
The at least single drive wheel engages preferably into the tooth profile on the outside of the driving member. This ensures a reliable transfer of force also between the drive wheel and the driving member and therefore the driving roll. The driving member, which presents a tooth profile adapted to a cogged belt, can thus be adapted to other driving elements through the simple placement of a drive wheel or chain wheel. Again, no special driving member is required, i.e. minimum of different individual parts can be attained with numerous types of drives which means that the manufacturing and warehouse costs are reduced.
Preferably, a roller axis is placed through the driving member in the longitudinal direction of the roll, on which the driving member is positioned in a pivoting manner with at least one bearing. In this manner the radial forces induced by the driving member, such as a steel roller chain or a cogged belt, can be absorbed directly at the location of the introduction of the force. Preferably, the driving member is designed in its interior in such a manner that several bearing positions are provided, in which a wide variety of bearings can be used depending on the employment purpose. Plain bearings made of a synthetic material can be used for low loads, while at high loads roller bearings are preferably used. The type of roller bearing depends on the selected driving means and the employment location of the driving roll. Ideally, the bearing is designed in such a manner that the driving roll does not require additional bearings at this end on the side of the drive. A conventional roller base with additional bearings is preferably provided at the other end of the driving roll.
As an alternative to the first design, the coupling device can be designed as a first holding device which contains at least one drive wheel, whereby the drive which comprises at a first face a coupling device, which meshes with the first holding device at the roller base, and which possesses at the opposite second face a second holding device for the connection of additional drive wheels or a coupling device. Different drive wheels can be installed very easily on the mounting device by means of their coupling devices. Thus, depending on the desired drive, different drive wheels can be installed on an unchanged, i.e. universally usable roller body and roller base. In addition, any given additional drive wheel can be installed without problems on a drive wheel already installed in the roller base, since the first drive wheel on the front side away from the roller body, possesses a second mounting device, on which an additional drive wheel can be installed by means of a here provided coupling device included or terminating device. This results in a highly flexible, modular construction of the drive unit for the driving roll. Drive wheels of different sizes and designed differently in terms of their circumference can be employed which can be installed, depending on the requirements, in different numbers on an unchanged driving roll or roller body. For example, the drive wheels may have different diameters, or they can be designed as chain wheels or cogged wheels.
Preferably, the second holding device on the drive wheel is identical in its design to the first holding device on the roller base. This allows an even more flexible use of the drive wheels, since one and the same drive wheel can be connected directly with the roller base or can also be installed as a second drive wheel at a first drive wheel which is connected with the roller base. This allows a considerable reduction of the multitude of parts, since no differently designed drive wheels are required for use as the first or the second drive wheel.
An additional preference is that the driving roll includes two identically designed drive wheels, whereby the first drive wheel is connected with its connection device to the first mounting device in the roller base and the second drive wheel is connected with its connection device to the second holding device on the first drive wheel. This arrangement is preferred, when the drive is achieved from roller to roller, i.e. one chain or one belt connects two rolls with each other. The identical design of the drive wheels offers a high variability for the adaptation of the drive to the different usage purpose while requiring a limited number of different components.
It is advantageous that the first mounting device is shaped in the form of an opening in the roller base, in which the drive wheel can engage with its connection device shaped in the form of a protrusion. With this design the different drive wheels are simply inserted in the roller base or another drive wheel, which results in an easy mounting. Advantageously, the opening contains a profile into which the corresponding profile on the protrusion engages, so that a solid connection is achieved between the drive wheels or a drive wheel and the roller base, which permits a reliable transfer of force from the drive wheels to the roller base and therefore the roller body. However, the openings and protrusions can also be designed in such a manner that a non-positive connection between the drive wheels and the roller body is achieved.
The mounting and connection devices preferably include latching means, especially in the form of latching grooves and the corresponding latching protrusions. This allows that when the drive wheels are inserted in each other or in the roller based, they are locked or snapped there, which results in a firm connection between the individual components, so that an unintentional separation can be prevented. No additional mounting processes, such as for example bolting, are required for connection the drive wheels with each other or with the roller base.
Preferably at least one drive wheel is a chain wheel. Such a drive wheel allows that a chain drive or a conveyor chain drive is used to drive the rolls, which permits an extremely reliable transfer of force. Depending on the desired gear ratio, the employed chain wheels can be designed with different diameters or number of teeth, so that an extremely flexible adaptation of the drive to the individual requirements of the roller trajectory or conveyor belt is possible.
In addition, the drive wheel preferably possesses on its circumference a toothed design for engaging a cogged belt. Thus it is very easy to drive an unchanged, i.e. universal driving roll, if desired, also by a cogged belt, whereby merely another drive wheel with the corresponding toothing must be installed on the roller base. Again, depending on the desired transfer ratio the drive wheels may have different diameters and numbers of teeth. If a drive from roll to roll is preferred, the preferably identical toothed wheels can again be placed behind each other on the roller base.
It is preferred that at least one drive wheel is placed on the axis carrying the driving roll. In this manner the radial forces applied by the driving means, such as for example a chain or a cogged belt can be transferred to the roller axis without being induced into the driving roll and without affecting action.
It is purposeful to provide on at least one drive wheel a seat for the holding of a bearing. For example, a corresponding bearing, such as a roller bearing, can be incorporated directly on the drive wheel, so that larger occurring forces, especially radial forces, can also be transferred in a reliable manner onto the roller axis.
Preferably, at least one drive wheel and/or the terminating device possesses a plain bearing surface which is in sliding contact with the axis. This design is extremely cost effective since no additional bearing elements need to be employed. For example, especially when the drive wheel and the terminating device are made of synthetic material, these can slide directly on the roller axis. This design is especially favorable for driving means which transfer only limited radial forces to the drive wheel, as is, for example, the case with a tangential drive of the drive wheels by means of cogged belts or chains.